


Stranger Things

by camichats



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Stranger Things Fusion, Fluff, Getting Together, Multi, Nicknames, Polyamory, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25996975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: Tony's nicknaming tendencies are given free reign when he learns that their new best friend doesn't have a name-- 'Eleven' didn't count, apparently. Rhodey would've been happier with it if it was a temporary state of affairs, instead of being stuck with it years afterwards, but Pepper doesn't seem to care.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Kudos: 28
Collections: Marvel Polyship Bingo 2020





	Stranger Things

**Author's Note:**

> For marvel polyship bingo N5-Stranger Things

"Your name is eleven? Like the number eleven?" Tony repeated. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and a weird look on his face, like he knew what she was telling him and found it to be completely unacceptable and also like he wanted to ask why she was willing to accept it. 

She blinked at him. Glanced at Jim-- Tony called him Rhodey, but his name was Jim, he'd said so himself. Jim gave her a shrug, like 'what can you do' and like he wanted to know what her answer was too. 

"I mean, I know you said that that's what they called you, but I figured that you'd have a real name too." 

"I'm... eleven." It was a number, not a name. She knew that. 

Tony rolled his eyes. "You're not eleven years old, we're not letting you call yourself that. You need a name. Red? No, that's not any better." Tony started listing out words that, as far as she could tell, were random. "Pepper!" he declared triumphantly. 

"Tony," Jim groaned, "we're not naming her after a spice." 

"Why not? Lots of people are named after spices." 

"Who? Who do you know that's named after a spice? I know all of your friends, and this town is pretty small. There's no one." 

"I didn't say that I knew anyone who was named after a spice, but I know that it happens." 

"Liar. You haven't heard of _anyone_ named Pepper or Salt or fricking Cardamom." 

"I like Pepper," she said. 

"Really?" 

" _Really_?" 

She didn't understand why Tony sounded quite that doubtful when it had been his idea to begin with. "I don't like Eleven. Or El. Pepper sounds nice." 

Tony beamed, then turned to Jim and stuck his tongue out. "See, I told you it was a good name." 

Jim rolled his eyes, but he smiled when Pepper laughed. 

* * *

"I can't believe you're still going by Pepper," Rhodey said, shaking his head. 

"I can't believe you're still going by Rhodey," she replied, and Rhodey glared at her. 

"I'm not _choosing_ to go by that; you assholes won't call me anything else. And when the hell did that start, by the way? You used to call me Jim. I liked it that way." 

"Your family can call you Jim if you're going to be so grumpy about it." 

"Okay but why the hell did you switch?" 

Pepper shrugged. "It's your Tony-name; it's better." 

Rhodey blinked at her, bewildered. "First of all, you used to be fine calling me Jim, and I don't see why that had to change. Second of all, yeah my family's going to call me Jim since it's my goddamn name. Plus Rhodey is based off my last name, which would make it the nickname for the entire family, not just me. Third of all, what the fuck is a Tony-name?" 

"The nickname Tony gives you," Pepper said, as if it was obvious. "My birth name is Jane, but my Tony-name is Pepper. My Tony-name is better, so it's what I go by." 

"Jim's a perfectly normal name," Rhodey said defensively. 

"So's Jane," Pepper said, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Rhodey rolled his eyes but was willing to accept it-- whatever made her happy, right? She'd been in normal society for several years now, but he still felt like they needed to make up for the absolutely horrific first ten years-- or however long she'd been there, he didn't really know. "Besides, it makes Tony happy." 

"Ah, that's the real reason," Rhodey teased. "You ever going to tell him that you're crushing on him?" 

"Are you?" 

Rhodey's smile froze in place. "No." It felt so brittle, like it might snap in half and then he wouldn't be left with a face at all. Pepper was looking at him with a distinct lack of judgement though, so he added, "You might be okay with it, but everyone else isn't." 

" _Tony_ would be okay with it." 

Rhodey sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face as he dropped the smile. "No offense, but Tony never knows what's good for him. I'm not going to make it worse by confusing him." 

"You say that like he doesn't like you too." 

"Unless you know that from your magical mind power, I'm gonna say that you're too optimistic. Why don't you just ask him on a date? Worst case scenario is that he says no." 

"Then why don't _you_ ask him?" 

"My worst case scenario is a lost worse than yours." 

Pepper snorted, clearly not believing him. 

A. She was a girl and wasn't going to have a gender problem with Tony. B. Aforementioned magical mind powers could protect her from anyone else's bad reactions. Rhodey didn't have magical mind powers; he didn't have magic of _any_ kind, and sometimes he wondered if the same was true for his mind. 

"We should ask him together," Pepper said, as if that was a perfectly reasonable solution. 

"What, at the same time?" 

"Yeah." 

"And make him pick? That's a horrible idea. I don't normally get to say that to you, but seriously, what the fuck?" 

"He could pick both of us," Pepper said, unbothered. "All three of us as a couple. That sounds pretty nice," she mused. "I like you." 

"You're absolutely crazy." 

"So you'll do it?" 

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that of course not, this was a suicide mission and he liked his life just the way it was: still going. But then he figured, what did he have to lose? Really, what did he stand to lose in this? Tony would get a little muddled about emotions and how relationships worked before having an answer, but Rhodey knew better than to think that Tony would hit him or something. If-- somehow-- they ended up dating, that's where the problems would arise, but the asking part was relatively risk free in the grand scheme of the world. Rhodey snorted, then said, "Sure. Why not." 

Pepper wasn't one to let it go until he had an answer she thought was acceptable, so it was easier this way anyways. Besides, if Tony turned him down, he'd be able to guilt her into buying him some ice cream. 

* * *

They'd decided, for simplicity's sake, that when they were in public, Pepper and Tony were the ones dating and Rhodey was the good best friend. It worked most of the time since most people weren't going to jump to the conclusion that they were all dating, but there were times where people got a little suspicious of what was actually going on. Like now, when Tony, with zero warning, took Rhodey's lollipop and stuck it in his own mouth. 

Rhodey didn't give a shit because he'd had his tongue in Tony's mouth an hour ago, but Steve was giving him a weird look for it. 

Of course, Pepper didn't notice the look Steve was giving them when she said, "Hey, that's not fair," and took the sucker from Tony. Then, instead of giving it back to Rhodey like Steve was probably expecting, she licked it. "Ew, grape." She shoved it back in Tony's mouth, and that was the last she thought of it. 

Rhodey pretended not to see Steve trying to catch his eye and slung an arm over Pepper's shoulders. "They're re-showing Star Wars. We should go." 

There was a very loud agreement from Tony and Pepper, and everyone else fell in line. Chances were that Steve wouldn't remember the lollipop thing by the time the movie ended, anyways. 


End file.
